Thoughts on experiencing life.
Attempts to understand it.
Feelings about its expressions.

Monday, June 01, 2009

Corporate Poison

"Only after the last tree has been cut down. Only after the last river has been poisoned. Only after the last fish has been caught. Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten." - Native American Prophecy

The world's worst industrial disaster happened in India. Bhopal gas tragedy. The company responsible was US based Union Carbide, whose poorly designed safety system broke and let out tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas into the atmosphere causing hell like consequences in 1984. 500,000 people were exposed to the gas. Thousands died immediately. Tens of thousands were severely disabled and died in the years that followed. Today, children are still born with serious birth defects. The company also left behind a huge toxic waste dump in Bhopal before they left the country. The company was later acquired by Dow Chemical Company which manufactured 'Agent Orange' - the chemical used by the US in Vietnam war.

Globalization. Who cares about the poor Indian factory workers anyway ?Government of India too covered up the issue partially to avoid a bad name.

Bhopal's soil and water are poisoned forever. The children born there are cursed forever.I think of the cockroaches and mosquitoes we poison to death everyday.